SVG – Remote Video: L.E.K. Consulting

When a video production company like Skillman Video Group takes on a project, they are guaranteeing their client a high-quality video. This means everything from lighting to editing is thoroughly planned and executed to a high degree.

The in-person element of this service was turned on its head when the pandemic began.

SVG chose to pivot and aimed to continue producing video content for their clients by producing video remotely.

Producing a Remote Video

Shooting remote video content requires a video production company to entirely rethink how it makes its content.

Skillman Video Group’s work for the management consulting firm L.E.K. throughout the pandemic was a testament to how adaptability can lead to great content.

Christina Skillman, CEO and Creative Director of Skillman Video Group, knew that remote video would come with unprecedented challenges. She faced them head-on.

Where to Start

L.E.K. asked SVG to create a thought leadership video for the healthcare sector of the firm.

Normally, when SVG would produce video content in person, it would take an entire team. A video shoot at the bare minimum would’ve included a videographer, director, and audio technician. Each member of the team would be an expert of their craft. This would ensure that the end product would be high quality.

When they moved to remote video, SVG could no longer rely on their in-person production team.

Lighting couldn’t be tweaked. Audio quality couldn’t be adjusted. And very little directing could happen in real time. This meant that SVG would have to carefully provide a guide for their client in conducting their own interview.

SVG asked their clients, the managing directors, to take on the responsibilities normally held by crew members. With expert advice from Skillman, they would be able to produce quality content for SVG’s editing team.

Coaching for Remote Video

Christina began by making sure the managing director, Andrewe Kadar, who would be on camera knew how to interact with the camera. For example, any interviewee needed to look directly into the camera lens in order to connect with the audience. If they looked at the monitor then they would have no eye contact with the audience.

Skillman then moved onto the actual video. The creative team at Skillman thought to FaceTime Kadar so they could control how the image looked to an extent. They made sure to test and find the best angle and lighting before asking Kadar to film his interview. This communication between the production company and the client was essential to making sure the video met everyone’s visual standards.

Post Production

After obtaining the video footage from Kadar’s interview, SVG found creative ways to make up for the shortcomings of the remote video production in post-production. They were able to use graphics and then use audio from the interview alongside to create a video that felt professional and not “home-made.” SVG also used editing in post-production to tweak the audio of the interview and take out any unnecessary pauses or words.

Overall, post-production editing was a key tool in weaving together both the healthcare message of Kadar’s video and refining the quality of the video.

Moving Forward

Skillman Video Group was able to produce high-quality content for L.E.K. during the pandemic for two main reasons.

The first being their longstanding relationship with the company. The level of comfortability and knowledge of the company’s message allowed for seamless communication between SVG’s creative team and L.E.K. Management.

The second reason was SVG’s ability to find creative solutions to real-time issues. As the pandemic hopefully comes to an end, remote video will largely be a thing of the past. However, this project proved that meaningful content can be created in any circumstance if only a video production company is willing to adapt. That is something that SVG will be taking into its future projects.