Capture Video – Who Do You Need?

Who Do You Need?

The size of the crew who will shoot your video can vary widely according to the finished product you need. Some of the jobs will be very obvious, and some of them might not.

Camera Operators- How many cameras will be recording depends on the number of people and locations that need to be shot and how much they overlap.

Lighting Director- Sometimes natural light or office lighting are sufficient for a production. But if you need a scene to create a certain feel, or if you want your interview subjects to stand out, in a good way, or you want to make a bland background look just a little nicer, you need a great lighting director.

Director- Do you need a director? It is recommended if you have multiple camera people who need to be coordinated. They can be critical if you’re recording scenarios with actors, or really any time your production is more complicated than individuals talking directly to the camera.

Sound Engineer- The sound engineer runs the sound mixer. When there are multiple audio streams, they’ll go through the sound mixer so that the volume of all the speakers is consistent, the background noise stays background, and the final product sounds clear, balanced, and professional.

Teleprompter Operator- People often think the teleprompter is completely automated. The operator is actually what makes the system work well. They can adjust the scroll speed or pause the text if the reader stumbles. It’s a bit like having a DJ over just running a mix tape, they can customize on the fly and adjust as the situation changes.

Talent- Usually this means actors or hosts, people who are experienced in delivering a camera ready performance. Sometimes, it’s the interviewer. People rarely realize what it takes to conduct a good interview. The interviewer has to be able to really listen to the responses given and then ask the right follow up questions to bring out the really important or interesting information. That’s what will make or break a daytime talk show, and sometimes it can make all the difference in the effectiveness of your video production. Give this some consideration when you are deciding who will do what for your corporate video.

In a really big production you might even have some of these people:

Dolly Operator- Most common in scenarios, they run the little rolling cart that moves the camera.

Jib Arm Operator- A jib arm gives you a ‘fly over’ effect or to create sweeping motion shots.

Grip- How often have you seen this in this film credits and wondered what this was? A grip is someone who carries and sets up the equipment. Not very exciting, but for a big production very necessary.

Capture Video expresses your brand and supports your goals. Our video services cover every aspect of new media production, from concept to final cut on DVD, Blu-Ray or the Web.

We provide video productions services for Northern Virginia and the entire DC Metro area. Contact us today if you would like to have an effective, professional video presence.