Video Production is Type II Fun. There is an intense focus on capturing raw footage in good lighting where people are wearing the same stuff in all the takes, and nothing odd has strayed into the shot. Sure there are lots of Type I moments where there is a lot of laughter and silliness, but that is mostly to break through the stress of creating something solid to hand to the video editing team, along with a lot of Snickers bars and a couple bag of chips.
Our recent production of a social media promo for the 4th Annual Choreographers’ Showcase proved to be a lot of Type I fun despite some last minute changes that required big shifts in the 1min 21sec timeline. A lot of this had to do with the fact that Pagesculptor Studios has worked many years with Dance REVolution Crew (DREV), plus a solid background in the performing arts. However, there are at least 3 other reasons that our long-term relationship resulted in a solid promo produced rather quickly and with little stress.
We have archives of their shows
We have either produced a DVD or .MP4 clips for DREV since the start, which means we have years of footage tucked away on our backup drives. This made it easy to gather the assets needed for the project. They sent over a list of clip titles with a start/finish time of the section they wanted to feature. We pulled in those clips into Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 and went to work timing those selections to their promo music. No time was wasted hunting down video from other production houses or trying to strip them from DVDs. We had the original footage. All we had to do was transfer it to our current workstations.
We are familiar with their brand
DREV is an multi-genre dance group comprised of mostly adults, though younger performers are highly encouraged and often bring a level of raw energy and talent that sweeps the audience away. Their dedication to featuring multiple dance styles is central to their mission statement, as is the desire to push the boundaries of performance and choreography. For the Choreographer’s Showcase they hold auditions and select only the best work. There have been some incredible moments not featured in the promo including my personal favorite– a construction scene that poked fun of the drawn out road project outside my studio office that pretty much made everyone crazy during the summer of 2018. This show is about creativity, performance, and heart. The promo reflects the evolution of every choreographer since Show 1 through Show 3.
We have our communication down
When KMAC, DREV founder and project manager, texts us at the start of the project, we already know how the work process will go down:
- We meet with KMAC and hammer out the details of the project;
- We both leave with a task list that must be completed before video production, or in this case video editing, can start;
- All versions must be run through KMAC. Once she is satisfied, she will ship the video off to DREV officers for approval.
- She will let us know of any last changes, or give approval, and then arrange payment.
Established communication makes everything run so much smoother. Occasionally, we will experiment with something different, but for the most part we have it nailed down.
Pick your production team wisely. They have different levels of experience, and don’t overlook their background. Honestly, we never thought our dance background would result in better dance videos, but a number of our clients have said we instinctively know when to zoom closer and when to stay wide because we understand what the choreographer is trying to communicate on stage. And while we have also produced multiple science videos, those are definitely much more Type II Fun compared to the Type I Fun we experience with DREV Crew and the Choreographers’ Showcase.