You ever wonder while watching your favorite movie, what goes into making all that come to life? Your average Hollywood movie would have consisted of a director who is the vision, producer who ensures everything is flowing smoothly, camera operator who is the guru on the camera and equipment, audio engineer who captures the audio, gaffer who runs lighting, interviewer who gathers narration for the story and editor who puts it all together. Although it would be nice to have that full team to run a high level shoot, it can also be achieved with two people so let me tell you how.
Although it’s not ideal to run a full shoot with two people, it can be achieved by splitting roles and removing roles that aren’t vital for that particular video. The two person crew will consist of a camera operator and interviewer but we will break down the camera person first. The camera person will pick up the role of director, camera operator, audio engineer and editor. A typical shoot is shot with a DSLR or mirrorless camera and with today’s technology it can eliminate the need for an audio engineer. With the combination of a boom and lavalier mic and some creativeness, your ideal audio can be captured with one person. This person should also understand how light and shadows work and know how not only to properly light the scene but also understand what to avoid that may create harsh or useless lights. The plus side of having the producer edit the videos is they can capture things according to their editing style and therefore create an easier editing process.
Now your second person comes in hand by playing the role of a producer, interviewer and part time producer. This person can run ideas by the cameraman and lay out the framework for the story. They will also play a vital role in making sure everything is being captured and no scenes are being overlooked. If a product video is being shot, they will be the middleman for the client and making sure the client’s visual idea is coming to life. They can also become the actor/model. With the two working together, you can achieve a high level shoot.
It’s not everyday that we plan and execute video shoots, but as we work to manage a small team of creatives, we have to wear multiple hats and step in where we can. Through teamwork, we are able to produce video for clients that stands out among the rest.