Last year we worked with DIAL Global to produce a series of video podcasts. In this blog, we’re going to pick out our top 3 video podcasts and break them down.
We were approached by DIAL Global at the beginning of the year as they were looking to start producing high-quality digital media. They knew that to reach the widest audience they would have to begin creating visually appealing and captivating online content.
After a little research from the team, we realised that giving this content a more cinematic feel (Think talking heads from your fave Netflix documentary series) would make for a more engaging experience for the viewer and give it an overall professional look and sound.
To achieve this, we first broke down the visual look with these key elements: Depth in the image, lighting of the scene, and shooting on a cinematic camera. Secondly, we approached the audio like you would a film, using a lav mic + a shotgun mic for each talent to later blend the warmest audio tone in post-production.
Having a wealth of experience in audio podcast recording comes in handy when trying to achieve the perfect tone for sensitive subjects such as his. The added benefit of spending so much time on the audio is that the company would have a choice to use this content as both audio and visual separately.
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”
– Mike Tyson
This quote as ever rings true to many aspects of life. We immediately found that trying to implement all if the above for every podcast was close to impossible. Frequently, we would battle with the logistics of a shoot. An example of this would be the size of the work space would inhibit the amount of gear we would normally take to a shoot or even the location itself could change on the day. We’re working with important people, who at times, could only give an hour of their day, meaning we would have to think fast and be prepared for any changes.
Over the course of working with DIAL Global, we perfected a style that would fit in any space, trimming the fat to just the essentials to get a beautiful looking and sounding product for the client.
Here are the top 3 tips we we learned along the way!
Pre-production is always important – Even though we knew things would change on the day and the plan could go out of the window, having something as menial as a client sending us an image of the room before hand could make all the difference to our time keeping on the day.
Comfort is king – A kind comment from CEO Edwin Booth of Booths, letting us know that he had never felt more comfortable on a shoot and in front of a camera, made us reflect on the interviews we had done previously. Creating the right atmosphere for the project you’re working on is key to getting the best out of your talent. Talk to your talent, ask the right questions and make them as relaxed as possible to get the best out of them.
Drab or dull framing – Often we would turn up on location and we would spend the first 15-20 mins rearranging furniture to make the set more visually engaging. This could be as simple as adding a little colour, be it an office plant, rearranging the chairs, removing a bulky table or adding a little background or foreground intrigue. Don’t be afraid to speak up to ask to move or add items, you’re the professional in this field and it’s on you to create the most compelling frame you can.
If your business is interested in elevating your podcast from audio to video, don’t be afraid to get in touch here. Here are a few of our highlights from the year.
Thanks for reading!
Brick
