The golden rule for brick and mortar businesses has always been, “Location, Location, Location.” And though video production is a vastly different business tool than your physical location, the location of where you shoot your production is hugely important.
Whether you’re creating a commercial, an internal training video, an informational marketing tool or simply shooting a series of interviews there are a handful of things to consider up front when planning your shoot location including; Authenticity, Visual Impact and Practicality.
First, Authenticity – Is the location true to the focus of your video? For instance, if you are shooting an interview with an athlete, an office setting would communicate the wrong message about the individual you are questioning. Instead, a sport’s field or arena would probably fit your subject much better. Depending on the nature of your video, the location always needs to fit your topic, story and individuals involved. Otherwise, your audience may find themselves scratching their heads.
Second, Visual Impact – Not only is it important that your chosen location fit your production goals, but does it fit with the overall visual style you are striving for? A good director of photography can make almost any location look good, but it certainly helps if a chosen location has interesting architecture, colors or textures to light and draw your audience into the interview or scene. With a skilled DP and today’s available lenses and cameras, there is much more flexibility in creating a good looking scene out of a space that is less than desirable. With interviews in particular, it is possible to make the background so out of focus that it can be just an interesting palette of colors and shapes, without distracting from your interview subject. But none of this is a substitute for a visually compelling location.
Lastly, Practicality – A huge element to consider when looking for a location is the practicality of it for client, cast and crew. Will there be enough space for what you are shooting, the crew and the equipment needed to light the space? How is access to the location for loading in equipment? Will windows and the sun impact the shot? And how about sound? Is it completely quiet? Will it be quiet on the production day or is there work scheduled next door? These are a few of the key elements to ponder when searching for your location.
At Sparkworks Media, we partner with our clients at every step of the production process, including discussing and searching for the perfect location. We can help you sort out the best location approach for your video.