El Niño - Digital Development’s Post

This actually depends on why you were hired. 😂 If you're a button-pusher, stay quiet. 🤫 If you were hired specifically for your TASTE in filmmaking, they are going to EXPECT your opinion and DESIRE your opinion, so tell them what they want to know. Your JOB is to guide them to a WIN 🦸♀️🦸♂️ If part of what they're paying you for is your professional opinion as a proven WINNER, give it to them. If they don't know you and they don't value your opinion, stay shut. ==== I've actually had the opposite situation where I WASN'T asked about something and I told the client anyway BECAUSE my job was to guide them to a WIN. "This isn't a good idea because X" "Doing Y would be a better choice because" "There's better footage of that, let me show you" ESPECIALLY if you're doing REAL WORK for a REAL NETWORK and you know your show is going to get bounced back if you do certain things such as add uncleared music. ==== Also, there are situations where neither choice makes a difference. 🤷♂️ You will be asked which one is better and then the answer is "neither" or "it doesn't matter". Producers don't like to hear that 😂 but you aren't the one who created or selected the footage, they are. You can tell when a footage change isn't going to enhance or detract from the program, so who cares? 🤷♂️ ==== Generally, if you have a relationship with the client, they are going to expect you to COLLABORATE WITH THEM in making the program the best it can be. Even if what they sent is TRASH 🗑️, if you accepted the work, YOUR JOB is to guide them to the best possible combination of what they filmed. If they want to do that without asking your opinion, great! 😂 If they ask you.. My suggestion is you tell them how to get from point A to point B and it's a value add for the next time they have a project and they'll think of you because they enjoyed and benefitted from your GUIDANCE.

Funny thing about filming interviews… it should easy, right? Don’t you just sit someone in front of the camera and hit record? Not quite. Here’s my top 5 points to a good interview: 1. Two point lighting. Place the key light 45 degrees from the direction the talent is looking. Same side as the window if there is one so it looks like it’s coming from a natural source. 2. Block out or turn off any unwanted ceiling lighting. In most office buildings the lights cannot be turned off so prepare to block them out with stands and flags. 3. Get the mic in as close as possible for the best sound. Do not show the mic! Placing a lapel mic on the persons clothes in shot is just lazy filmmaking! Hide the lapel or use a boom mic. 4. Select a quiet location. Before setup, listen to the ambient sound, outside traffic, foot traffic, air conditioner, coffee machines, and any other noise that shouldn’t be in your video. 5. Sit the interviewer right next to the camera so the eyeline of the person being interviewed is just off camera. 6. (BONUS POINT) Shoot in 4K if you’re planning a HD edit (or as I do, shoot in 6K resolution and edit in 4K) so you can create the illusion of two cameras (framing for mid shot and cropping into a close up) from one camera. And if all that sounds all too hard, hire the team and I from Global Pictures and we’ll take care of it for you!

What is the #1 advice you would give to a videographer who is trying to start their career?

 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽️England can't get the job done, but we can! 🚀   🎥 Check out this video that I created for a CEO job in South America🌎. I've utilised rotoscoping and a small animation to keep viewers engaged👀. 📽️ No major transitions or b-roll—just pure focus on Peter Comerford's message. 🎯 Why Clarity and Engagement Matter: Clear and engaging videos are crucial for capturing and retaining the audience's attention. In a world of distractions, delivering your message succinctly is essential. By avoiding excessive transitions and b-roll, we ensure that viewers remain focused on the core content, enhancing the overall impact of the message. 🎯✨ Hope you all like it! 😊 What’s your favorite way to market or advertise? Let’s discuss it! 💬💡 PS: if you’d like to apply for this Job or know someone who does apply with Comton Group Limited today

For anyone looking to start a #career in the #filmindustry here are my five top #tips. 1. Be prepared to start at the basement level. Your degree, diploma mean next to nothing in the real world of filmmaking. 2. Have a thick skin and a genuine can do attitude. Production runs at a fast pace and often niceties are jettisoned and tempers get frayed. This is all part of the creative energy that makes this such a dynamic industry. NOTE: There are industry assholes, you’ll soon learn who they are and either avoid them or ignore them. A “can do” attitude doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. If a request is unreasonable, unsafe or plain vindictive, tell the person to shove it. 3. Learn. Use the opportunity of starting in the basement to learn from others out on the job. Ask lots questions (at the right time), keep a notebook handy and draw diagrams of lighting set ups, take notes and then go through your notes and ask more questions and take more notes. Most people in the industry are only too happy to give insights. 4. Don’t be late. Time is a precious commodity and in the film industry that is double true. You being late impacts the rest of the crew and the production schedule. Honestly, it’s just bad form not respecting someone else’s time. 5. Have fun! Smile. Love your job, tap into the creative energy, feel the buzz of bringing stories to life. Celebrate your wins and give yourself a pat on the back for each step you take up the ladder.

Beyond the exciting pictures of expensive camera kit and 'That's a wrap' posts, have you ever wondered what it's really like working behind the scenes in video production? Some may think that it's a fun or glamorous job (both can be true) but like any job in any industry, it can have its highs and lows, as well as challenges to overcome. The truth is the reality of the day-to-day = harder graft than social media might sometimes have us believe! However, regardless of one's role or the scale of a project, no 2 days or video briefs are ever the same, and this is ultimately why it's such a rewarding industry to work in. In this post I share what a 'typical' day might look like as a camera op self-shooting a 1 day conference highlights video for LinkedIn. I'll also be covering other projects in the coming weeks: https://lnkd.in/enGDcY4F #videomarketing

I'm from a country where my job is considered a hobby at best. - "You're so creative." | But creative jobs don’t lead to a stable life. - "Show Grandpa that cool video you made." | But don't mention it's what you want to do for a living. - "That camera looks awesome." | How much did you waste on it? - "Your filmmaking has gotten really good!" | If only you put that much effort into your studies. - "That’s a great payment for one video." | But it’s not a sustainable career. You fight against a culture. You fight against your self-doubt. You fight against the respect of your loved ones. Never forget: Location matters. Location matters.

What happens before the architects arrive to the interview filming location? 1. Location scouting. If we're filming at a location we haven't been to before we go to the location before the filming date. Taking photos and videos on an iphone for review later on. It ensures that the filming day goes smoother and we know exactly where and how we want to set up. 2. We normally try to arrive on site as early as possible, atleast 45 minutes before the scheduled filming but sometimes even an hour to give us time to resolve any issues. Like with this shoot, no power being present. 3. Work with building staff to coordinate closing off the access points, getting power, and any other things we need to do to improve lighting conditions, such as closing the blinds. 4. We unpack all of the equipment and begin setting up all of the lights, set up the camera, and conduct sound checks. 5. Clients arrive to site, we sit them down and mic them up. and then we're ready to go :) This particular shoot was a two person interview, which we hadn't done before. So, we bought some extra lights to ensure both subjects were well lit.

Being an introvert in the film industry isn't a weakness. It's actually a superpower if you know how to use it. Everyone thinks you need to be the loudest person in the room to succeed in film. You don't. You just need to look at communication differently. Think about it like this , communication is a skill, just like editing or cinematography. It's not about being naturally outgoing, it's about treating it like part of the job. The key is separating the professional from the personal. When you're at a film event or meeting, you're not there to make friends, you're there to build connections that help tell stories. What does this look like in practice? - Schedule one-on-one coffee meetings instead of big networking events - Prepare talking points before important meetings - Use listening skills (something introverts excel at) to really understand what others need - Take breaks between social interactions to recharge - Build a small, strong network instead of trying to know everyone This isn't about becoming an extrovert. It's about creating systems that work for your personality type. Some of the most successful directors, editors, and cinematographers are introverts, they just learned to play to their strengths. The real trick? Build in boundaries. Have a quiet space on set. Schedule recovery time after high-social days. Know when to say no to non-essential events. Because at the end of the day, making great films isn't about being the most outgoing person, it's about having the energy and clarity to tell amazing stories.

Think that creating videos is all about filming? Think again. The pre-production process is crucial to make sure a project gets delivered successfully.  Prior to the shoot we’ll have a pre-production meeting. Typically I like to go through the following points and put this all into a briefing document so we both are on the same point. TARGET AUDIENCE:  Who will watch this video? what are their pain points? what do they need? How do we want them to feel/think/do when they watch the video? CORE MESSAGE: What’s the core message we must deliver? How do we want your brand to be perceived? What’s the call to action? LOCATION + TALENT Where are we going to film? Do we have multiple locations? Is a location scout necessary? Who will be the talent in front of the camera? INTERVIEW QUESTIONS If we have to film an interview we will discuss the interview questions together so that on the day you will be prepared and confident in-front of the camera and who will be used as talent. SHOTS LIST What shots do we want to capture to bring those message across? I will create a shot list so I know exactly what to capture on the production day. As you can see creating a video is not just hit record and hope for the best. There’s a lot of thought and strategy that goes behind this to make sure we create an outstanding final product.  If you want to create a video for your business and don’t know where to get started I’m just a DM away.