Filming in Westborough

Skillman Video Group had another day of filming for the Cambridge Sound Management project we’re currently working on. On this day we found ourselves in Westborough Massachusetts at the local Amica call center where they use the sound masking system created by Cambridge Sound Management. This will eventually become part of the branded web video and operate as a testimonial video. First of all, it was really exciting to get to see the system working in a busy call center. Its effect was impressive.

Another Day, Another Challenge

The main challenge of the day was this was a third party’s office. We didn’t have as much information about the space nor did we have the same kind of leeway in the space, as we normally would have. Our first step was a walkthrough. Our video producers and production staff walked through the office with no equipment, just eyes and ears to see what we were working with.
Our analysis of the office left us with a few issues to tackle. First of all we wanted to make sure we had as small a footprint as possible. Amica wasn’t paying to have us come to them. They opened their doors as a favor, and with that in mind we approached each decision ensuring we would be as unobtrusive as we could, while doing our jobs to our, and our client’s standards.

Guerrilla Filmmaking

The term is usually indicative of a fast, “run and gun,” style of filmmaking that’s prominent with things like documentaries regarding controversial subjects, Even though that’s not what we were doing, the ability to be fast and light was going to be critical to us, so we used that mindset in order to get through the day.

We shot on a Canon 5D camera shooting in full HD resolution and with battery powered LEDs. This meant we were using a fairly small camera, and we didn’t have to bother looking for outlets in order to enhance the lighting of the room. Our cinematographer also used a monopod when possible. It’s a great way to get stable shots on the fly.
Making Cubicles Exciting
Cubicles aren’t terribly exciting things to look at, but as video production specialists it’s our job to make every shot worthwhile, so how do we make footage of something like cubicles look interesting? Well there’s a particular tool you see used frequently among professionals, the slider. Sliders allow a camera to move back and forth along a set of rails. Our cinematographer spent quite a bit of time working on slider shots. These shots require a lot of expertise, patience, and steady hands to make them work well, but they take what would be an otherwise uninteresting image and provide enough movement to make them engaging.

It was a packed half day shoot, but we’re very excited about the footage we shot and what it means for the web video as a whole. Be sure to stay tuned for additional updates on this and other projects taking place here at Skillman Video Group.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 617-858-8232.