Sparks of Passion: The Unscripted Story of Fischbach & Moore

The Skillman Video Group process helps companies realize their branding goals and works with them to create beautiful and purposeful video.

Working with the electrical contracting group Fischbach & Moore was a great example of how our Discovery, Strategy, and Concept phases of our process helped us realize a unique video that was right for our client.

Discovery: You Can’t Script Love

Our Discovery meeting with Fischbach & Moore is a great example of how client expectations and goals can change once we start talking.

Fischbach and Moore came to us looking for a scripted video.

When we talked with the team at Fischbach & Moore, however, we began to understand that their biggest value was their people, and the love that these people had for their company.

That’s something you can’t script.

Strategy: Culture & Competency

We thought about the key ideas for Fischbach & Moore in two ways: what the company does (core competencies), and who they are (company culture).

The interview questions that we formulated asked employees what they loved about their jobs and how that company culture translated to a better product for their clients. None of our interviews would be scripted.

We decided the necessity of showing as many employees as possible, as well as the work itself and where it was being done, in order to build reputability.

Creative/Concept: An Electric Documentary

Once we understood the passion that Fischbach & Moore had for both its employees and the quality of their work, we knew that we needed to show the heart and grit of Fischbach & Moore authentically.

We decided to shoot in a documentary style, using only Steadicams – no static shots, which allows for a less corporate, more natural feel. Instead of talking directly about the range of work, we would show it through our B-roll and interview locations.

Because we wanted to showcase Fischbach & Moore workers in action, we knew that we had to get footage of their biggest client, the MBTA.

Planning/Pre-Production: Training for the Tracks

Before we could get on the tracks, we needed to get official training from the MBTA.

After every member of the crew completed the MBTA ROW training course, we learned basic safety precautions and were trained just like anyone else who might work on the railways.

We rounded up our crew, including an audio specialist, and worked out logistics to interview nine employees, as well as B-roll, over four shoot days.

Production: On the Job

Once we got to our shoot, we already had a clear map of what we needed from our B-roll and interviews.

Because we had key themes and messages in mind, we helped guide interviews in the right direction without feeding any lines.

We captured footage of work in action, equipment, and the trains, making sure to tackle the range of our client’s work.

Because we were dealing with so much background noise, our audio specialist helped to ensure that our interviews were as crisp as possible.

Our next steps will be moving into editing, or post-production, where the hours of interview footage and B-roll will come together into a three-minute narrative that captures the soul of Fischbach & Moore‘s professional integrity and inclusive company culture.