228 Days Later: Behind the Scenes

This year, we had no shortage of inspiration for a scary Halloween video. Between the natural disasters, global pandemic, murder hornets, and our overall stress levels, there was a lot to work with.

However, we also had to operate with a very small crew, with everyone’s safety as the very first priority. Some of our ideas were just unworkable with COVID-19 protocols.

Here’s what we came up with, and how we pulled it off.

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228 Days Later

For those keeping track, Halloween falls roughly 228 days after life in the US was upended by the global pandemic. Before we go behind the scenes, watch the frightening final cut below:

The Concept

We ran through a lot of different ideas before arriving at our winning concept. This year has felt particularly apocalyptic, so at first, we explored themes around natural disasters and zombies.

However, we quickly realized those plots would’ve required quite a few extras, make-up artists, and more crew members to pull off the way we wanted. In order to keep our shoot as safe as possible, we needed to come up with a script that didn’t require as many people in front of or behind the camera.

Enter the ultimate villain. After trying to come up with a different evil character for our heroine to fight, we realized nothing is scarier than 2020.

After all, our lives are still in upheaval, and the year isn’t even over yet. We also thought it would be really satisfying to see someone square up to this particular evil-doer and fight back.

The Script

Once we had a concept, the script came together fairly quickly. We only planned one spoken line of dialogue since we mainly needed to build up suspense until the big reveal of our villain.

We decided to use the spacious house to maximum effect. Our heroine wanders the halls and peeks through a seemingly disordered array of rooms as the threat becomes more tangible.

The pinnacle of the storyline is the confrontation with the source of all the horror. The abject terror in her eyes says it all: this year is the actual worst.

As it turns out, you can run, but you can’t hide from 2020. The final scene is a classic, 80’s-inspired shot of the heroine facing up to this awful year with everything she’s got.

The Shoot

In order to create the right atmosphere, we needed a dark set. While there are other solutions, the easiest option is usually to shoot at night. We planned two night shoots to capture all the footage.

While night shoots are tough because of the hours, you wind up with plenty of time to prepare before the camera rolls. If you’re diligent, they tend to be pretty efficient.

Night one, we tackled most of the b-roll and atmospheric shots. This approach allowed us to more meticulously plan the action scenes for night two.

Leading up to the first night, we staged rooms, charged batteries, and set up lighting equipment. For night two, we worked on props and put the final touches on certain rooms where action would be unfolding. On both nights, when the sun went down, we were ready to film.

Tradeoffs On Set

Since we were operating with a really bare bones crew, we had to make certain tradeoffs. Nick LaClair, the creative director at SproutVideo, was our director, camera operator, and art department. Brandon Ivey handled lighting and sound, and Alexandra Riley Morton was our lead actress.

For the scale of the shoot and the amount of equipment we were using, you would typically have at least three assistants. Ideally, one person would be focused on audio, with another on lighting, and another would handle props, costumes, and staging.

However, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, we decided to make do with a smaller crew. This meant on-set audio would be harder to capture, but that fit with our concept since we only had one line of dialogue.

It also meant that while we had wanted to craft a physical representation of 2020 to use as our villain, it wasn’t feasible. With our team already stretched so thin, there wasn’t anyone to act with a 2020 prop beyond casting ominous shadows on a wall.

Instead, we decided to create the monster in post-production, which often feels like a gamble. In this case, we think it paid off.

Equipment

Considering the size of our crew, we had to keep our equipment equally as efficient. Here’s what we used on set:

• Sony FS7 Camera
• Fujinon 18-55 Cine Zoom Lens
• SLR Magic Anamorphot 65 Adapter
• Tilta Nucleus Remote Follow Focus
• Sachtler System FSB 8 Tripod
• Hollyland Cosmo 500 Wireless Video Transmitter
• Monitor with Stand
• Dracast Fresnel Pro LED 5000 Light
• Two RGB LED Panels with Stands and Smartphone App
• Three Arri Tungsten Lights with Stands
• Cardioid Microphone with Stand
• Fog Machine

The anamorphic lens imbued our footage with a cinematic quality to give it a more classic horror movie look. It’s subtle, but it’s apparent in the level of background blur and oval-shaped bokeh in the shots.

With such a small team, much of our equipment had to be used remotely. The camera was hooked up to a wireless monitor so Nick could keep an eye on it from a distance. Similarly, the RGB LED panels were controlled with a smartphone app, which meant less running around to adjust the lighting.

Lighting Design

Since our villain was figurative, and would only be added with CGI in post-production, we used a red light to represent it on our shoot. This enabled us to set up some strong visual contrasts from start to finish.

We used warm, ambient lighting for the opening scene. As it becomes apparent that all might not be well, our actress leaves the well-lit kitchen for darker areas of the house. When she finally encounters the evil villain, red light washes over her face for a classic horror movie scare.

The big Dracast light was used to illuminate outdoor shots, and to cast the shadow of 2020 on the wall. The RGB LED panels (seen above behind Nick) served as our monster because we were able to program an automatic on-off cycle for one light, with the other left on a constant glow, and control both remotely. The fresnels were mainly used to tweak background lighting within the house (also shown above, highlighting the pool table).

For more tips on lighting a scary scene, check out our guide to classic horror movie lighting.

Post Production

Beyond the basics of editing and color grading, we had to create a monster to represent the year 2020 with CGI. Sara Greene, SproutVideo’s marketing designer and After Effects whiz, had this to say about how it came together:

As a fan of 80s horror movies, the red glow of the room instantly reminded me of horror movie classics like Poltergeist and The Thing. With that aesthetic in mind, I applied various effects to the 2020 text in After Effects to make it warp, shift, blur, glow, and to give it an ethereal quality to essentially bring the monster to life. Along with Nick’s help in post-production, I think we achieved making the monster look as natural as possible in its environment.

Sound Design and Music Score

Without a dedicated person to capture sound on set, we wound up recording some noises after the fact. For instance, the zipper, wine bottle, door slamming, typing, bag dropping on the counter, and general room ambience were all captured after filming wrapped.

Ideally, we would’ve placed a lav microphone on Alexandra when she was running through the woods. Again, facing limitations in crew size, we chose to use a handheld boom for those shots. We also used a boom on a pole for a majority of the rest of the shots in the house, with the exception of the hallway walking scenes, where we were able to use a lav.

To learn when to use each type of microphone, check out our guide to the three essential microphone setups.

Terrifying Tunes

Picking the right music was incredibly important. With practically no dialogue, we knew we’d have to use music to transport our viewers and create tension.

Just like the lighting, the music helps transition viewers through the different stages of the film. We open with a warm, eclectic vibe, but quickly spoil the mood with some unrecognizable sounds. As they get louder, the upbeat music fades, and our actress investigates. As she gets closer to the source, we shift to much more dramatic music and louder monster sounds. Finally, when she retreats to the garage, we shift the mood with a big change in the score to signal her determination to face her fears.

By mapping your music choice to the emotions you want your audience to experience, you can help transport them along on your journey.

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We loved watching this idea come to life, and hope you enjoyed it too. Do you have any special video tricks or treats up your sleeve for Halloween this year? Any horror movie film techniques you’d like to explore? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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4 Innovative Ways Brands are Using Live Streaming

(Photo Credit: Blogger Startup By golubovystock on Shutterstock)

For many companies, it’s hard to come up with alternatives to in-person events that are just as effective for marketing. It’s really tough to replace the human connection and excitement that naturally comes with meeting people in real life.

Live video is quite possibly as close as you can get, and has proven to be a highly engaging and effective solution to scaling events, drumming up excitement, and delivering a message. In this post, we’ll look at four innovative ways brands have leveraged live streaming to replace in-person events.

1. Shoppable Product Demos

Many brands are used to holding large events to announce new product features or launches. These events usually generate plenty of buzz, and get potential customers really excited about new features.

While it’s hard to replace the energy of a live audience, live video events offer a few advantages. The reach is theoretically unlimited, so you aren’t constrained by venue capacity or location. And you can still gather plenty of direct feedback and generate lots of excitement in different ways. 

After all, many of the best product-centric events have been incorporating live video for years. The trick is to figure out ways to pull potential customers in and keep them engaged. 

This past September, Samsung Sweden launched the new Galaxy Z Fold2 5G. They did everything you would do at an in-person event: an unboxing, audience participation, and a Q&A session. The most innovative aspect was that the live stream was shoppable, so consumers did not have to wait to make a purchase while watching.

To replicate this on a smaller scale, you’ll first need a plan of action. Check out the breakdown of our first live steam where we demoed our new live streaming capabilities.

2. Live Conferences

Virtual conferences have been on the rise for some time, but engagement has been skyrocketing since they’re now essentially the only option. Online conferences offer some specific advantages over in-person events. You can still run multiple sessions with different speakers, but capturing the insights is much easier. Also, attendees can tune in live, or to the recording when they have time, helping to boost your reach and engagement. Finally, speakers can participate from wherever they happen to be, reducing scheduling conflicts and travel headaches.

When location and venue are no longer a factor for the size or length of your conference, you can really start to push some boundaries. While most conferences last less than a week, Social Media Week held a month-long virtual conference series earlier this year. They had over 300 speakers and 150 sessions. If that sounds potentially overwhelming, they gave attendees access to recordings and recaps if they weren’t able to attend live.

While you might not have the capacity to hold a month-long virtual conference, embracing the flexible nature of virtual events can lead to new formats and more opportunities to engage participants. 

3. Virtual Party 

Throwing a party might be the exact thing you need to lighten things up and spread some cheer for your audience as the pandemic continues. Since we went into lockdown, virtual happy hours, board games, and dance parties have skyrocketed. There are plenty of ways to leverage this trend for your own brand.

Hormel Foods did just that. During what they called ‘Hormel Foods Spirit Week’, they held a virtual pizza party to celebrate plant workers and staff during the pandemic. Not only did they give out prizes and have special guests, but they also broke a world record for a virtual pizza party. 

When coming up with your virtual party concept, look for ways to generate excitement and promote audience interaction. From polls to surprise guests, there are many options to get the party started.

4. Behind-the-Scenes

Going live behind-the-scenes has a certain caché, and is an amazing way to share insights or exclusive knowledge with viewers. The beauty of behind-the-scenes content is that it can be applicable to just about any industry.

For instance, you could feature interviews with employees, break down marketing videos, show a day in the life of an executive, or reveal part of the manufacturing process. You can get very creative with it. 

Warner Brothers used behind-the-scenes content to generate new interest in some iconic films. Utilizing a mix of live and prerecorded materials, Warner Brothers created a nostalgic experience that provided a true insider perspective to those watching along.

If you’ve been sitting on some archival footage, or have a crazy story to tell about how something came together at the last minute, live video is the perfect way to share.

Bonus: Add More Nostalgia With VIPs

One trend we’ve seen during quarantine is live video reunions for some very popular shows. While this might seem like just a fun get-together of old cast members, it can be extremely powerful.

Tapping into nostalgia for shows we already watched and loved can generate cravings for that same comfort. Seeing your favorite stars from shows like Parks and Recreation, Community, and Happy Endings and more, will definitely entice you to go back and rewatch those series.

Along with driving views, many of these virtual get-togethers were for charity or spreading positive messages during an uncertain time. Look for authentic tie-ins for your brand, and use nostalgia to give your audience something to smile about.

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Live video is going to continue to gain traction as more and more businesses find successful strategies for implementing it. There’s no time like the present to start experimenting to see what works for your audience. Let us know in the comments below which strategies you’ll be trying, or if you’ve found any other unique ways of using live video.

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Eight Best Practices for Planning Internal Videos

Maybe you’ve been at it for a while, or maybe a newly remote workforce inspired the C-suite to take on more rigorous internal communications. Either way, creating a workable editorial calendar for executive communications is an important undertaking that will support your company’s culture and growth over time.

Whether you’re adding video to the mix, or building internal communications from scratch, video will greatly enhance your strategy. By adding personality and nuance, video is a highly effective tool for getting a message across. From branding to employee engagement, video is key to delivering results with internal comms.

So, what should that executive editorial calendar look like? While we don’t believe it’s one-size fits all, these eight best practices will get you started on the right foot.

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1. Set Clear Goals

You can achieve many different aims with executive communications. Whether you’re looking to promote transparency, align teams with your mission, or share timely reactions to current events, it’s important to be specific when defining your goals.

Your company’s needs will be driven by company culture, the nature of the industry you’re in, and your teams’ specific needs for information. In all likelihood, your communications program will be fairly unique, even when compared to your peers.

2. Design Your Campaigns

Yes, we said campaigns, not just content. That’s because one-off videos shared periodically throughout the year are unlikely to move the needle. If you make a concerted effort to develop a series of videos to support different outcomes, you’re much more likely to get your message across to employees.

Also, the more video you make, in many ways, the easier it becomes. The first video is almost always the hardest to make.

To build your editorial calendar, you’ll want to draw from multiple sources. There are external factors, like current events, holidays, and industry-related events. Then, there are all the internal milestones, reporting periods, and strategic or cultural initiatives to take into account.

First, add all the foreseeable items with relatively fixed dates. Items like an annual report, conferences, or quarterly company-wide meetings are unlikely to shift on the schedule.

Then, layer in different initiatives, campaigns, and other more variable projects. By first getting a sense of your fixed deliverables, you’ll have a better picture of your workload, and can avoid going overboard with your messaging.

3. Plan and Budget Your Content

Once you’ve got a sense of your priorities for the year, it’s time to figure out the types of productions you’ll need, and what they’re likely to cost you. Most of your content will be split into two buckets: evergreen, and timely.

Evergreen Content

Evergreen content refers to video messaging that can be referenced again and again, and provides value for an extended period of time.

Examples include new hire welcome videos, training videos, and videos designed to uphold company culture.

Typically, evergreen videos are worth investing in because of their desired longevity. Higher production value will help prolong their shelf-life. Whether you can handle it in-house, or need to enlist a studio, these videos will require a fair amount of planning and time to get right.

Timely Content

Timely content is reactionary, and gives executives a chance to deliver a message to employees at a crucial moment.

While you might automatically equate timely content with reactions to events in the news, this category would also include videos or live streams that address things with short term value, like quarterly reports or most company updates.

For items that you can plan in advance, having a formula will make production more efficient. Figure out which shots you’ll need, and which assets (like charts or graphics), as well as who will be featured in the video.

For truly off-the-cuff videos, keeping production simple will ensure a speedy turnaround time. For instance, have the executive face a window for diffuse, flattering light, and get a microphone as close as possible for clear audio. That’s about it! If you have the equipment on hand, you can be set up to film in a matter of minutes.

4. Production Schedule

Each video should have a pre-production phase (planning), the production itself, post-production (editing), and finally, review and approval. The more accurately you can map out these phases, the more smoothly your shoots will run.

Based on the types of content you have planned, you should start to get a clear picture of your production needs. Evergreen content will likely require more time and effort for ideation, scripting, casting (yes, even employees and executives require casting), scouting, prop sourcing, filming, and of course editing. Timely content should require a lighter touch in terms of production. For instance, some may not be scripted, and the editing required will not be very involved.

For both types of video, there is likely to be a review and approval process. Depending on the nature of the content or your industry, this could be lengthy and could become an obstacle to delivering your message on time. Try to get buy-in from stakeholders early and often in the process, and ensure comms guidelines are clear to minimize this risk.

When scheduling productions, consider whether you can bunch certain shoots together. Also, look for opportunities to capture b-roll outside of formal productions. For instance, if an executive is speaking at an event, you might be able to use the footage as b-roll.

5. Release Cadence

The right release cadence for your content depends on the types of internal comms you are delivering. Some campaigns might require weekly or even daily updates, while others will occur far less often. For instance, in a time of crisis, your team might benefit from daily updates from executives. During the course of regular business, they’re unlikely to have the same information needs.

Most companies probably don’t do enough for internal comms. Data from Simpplr shows “two-thirds of leaders aren’t communicating about vision and strategy more frequently than once a quarter”. Surely there’s more to say about it than that?

The key is to strike a balance between establishing your comms program as a useful resource for employees, and bombarding them with lots of content. If your messaging is overwhelming, people will tune out. If it’s too sparse, it’s unlikely to provide a tangible benefit.

6. Secure Sharing

While some executive communications can be shared outside the company, certain videos will be for employees only. You can easily control access to your videos with SproutVideo’s privacy tools.

For instance, you can embed videos securely in an intranet using a domain whitelist. The embed code will not load if it’s copied to a website that isn’t included in your whitelist.

If you can’t easily embed content in your intranet, or don’t have one, a secure video portal for employees makes it easy to create a destination for your content. With password protection, viewer logins, or more advanced options, like IP address restriction or single sign-on, SproutVideo’s websites are an easy way to share your executive communications with the team.

7. Audience Interactions

Executive communications are not always a one-way street. It can be vitally important to gather employee feedback.

Enabling commenting on your videos and live streams is an engaging way to encourage employees to share their thoughts. It’s also a nice option because someone else can moderate the comments, while the person presenting focuses on their material.

Other alternatives include adding a survey at the end of the video or live stream with a custom post play screen, or linking to a survey during playback using an in-player call-to-action.

8. Track Performance

After going to all this effort, naturally, you’ll want to be sure you’re having a measurable impact. That’s where viewer engagement tracking comes in.

Depending on how you’re sharing your videos, you should be able to track viewers by their email address. This is possible whether you’re sharing your videos on an intranet, or through a SproutVideo website.

The viewer’s email address will be reported in engagement metrics. This powerful data shows you exactly how much of your video viewers watch, rewatch, or skip. That way, you will know whether your team is engaging with your content or if they’re dropping off at particular points in your videos.

Using this data, you can improve your videos over time, and ensure you’re only putting out effective content employees want to watch.

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Do you use video for executive communications? If so, how has it made an impact? If not, what’s stopping you from getting started? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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How Shutter Speed Impacts Your Footage

You’ve probably heard the term shutter speed, but do you actually know what it means, how it works, or how to choose the right speed? There is actually a super simple golden rule to go by, but also a lot more to it than you might think.

In this How to Video episode, we’ll be tackling all things shutter speed. We’ll go over what shutter speed and shutter angles are, the only rule you’ll need to remember, and the differences you’ll see when increasing or decreasing your shutter speed.

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In the video below, Creative Director Nick LaClair (and his dog Jeff) will illustrate how shutter speed works, and show examples of what your footage might look like if you choose to work outside of the golden shutter speed rule. 

What is Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed is just that, the speed of the shutter on a camera. A camera shutter is a curtain, cloth or metal, that opens and closes in front of the camera sensor. It stays closed until the camera is fired, opens to let light pass through the lens and hit the sensor, then closes again afterward. The time in which the shutter is open is the shutter speed. This is technically a photography term, but with modern digital cameras, the same general process occurs for photo and video. 

How is it Measured?

Shutter speeds are typically extremely fast and are measured in fractions of a second. Most DSLR and mirrorless cameras have a wide range for shutter speed. They can go from as fast as 1/4000th of a second, to as slow as leaving the shutter open for 30 seconds.  

Types of Shutters

While all shutters function similarly, you may encounter different types of shutters depending on the type of camera you’re using. The most popular are as follows:

Focal-Plane Shutters: These are typically found in DSLRs and consist of a series of thin steel blades. Typically very close to the focal plane, focal-plane shutters can also be referred to as leaf shutters.

Electronic Shutters: These can be found on a variety of cameras, and on cheap and expensive models. They actually do not feature a physical shutter. Instead, they simply turn the sensor on and off to capture exposure. 

Rotating Disc: These are typically used in camcorders or pro cinema rigs.. It has a semicircular disc that spins in front of the sensor to let light in. This is where the term shutter angle comes from, which we’ll cover below. 

What is Shutter Angle?

Shutter angle is a different way to measure shutter speed. Used in mainly camcorders or pro cinema cameras, shutter angle is a reference to how rotating disc shutters used to operate in film cameras. The degrees refer to the amount of the sensor that is being covered up at any given point by the rotating shutter. 

The degrees are derived from how much of the sensor is being covered up at a given time. In the illustration below you can see the 180-degree shutter is taking up half of the space allowing only a certain amount of light to hit the sensor. With new technology, this is all done automatically rather than with an actual rotating disk, but the outcome is the same. 

Figuring out what shutter angle to work with is also very simple since unlike shutter speed, it’s a constant. For example, a 180-degree shutter will equate to a shutter speed that is double your frames per second no matter what you’re shooting at, meaning one less setting to adjust as you film.

Shutter Speed Golden Rule

If you take nothing else from this post, remember this one rule to make your footage look the best at any given time. Your shutter speed should be about “twice” your frame rate. So if you’re shooting at 24 frames per second, your shutter speed should be set to 1/48. Likewise, if you’re using a camcorder or cinema camera, you could set your shutter angle to 180 degrees.

This rule allows you to shoot at a rate that mimics real life. When we view things in the real world, there is a certain level of motion blur that occurs naturally as your eyes and brain process visual information. Shooting at double your frame rate makes your footage look as close to this as possible. This will make your footage more enjoyable to watch and more cinematic. 

However, there are certain circumstances where you may not want this look. Here are all the considerations to take into account when setting your shutter speed.

Slow Shutter Speed

There are specific situations where you might want to slow down your shutter speed. Typically, a slow shutter speed allows you to do one of two things.

The first is to avoid LED and fluorescent light flicker. At certain shutter speeds, you might notice that light in the background will start flickering. This is because it is refreshing at the same rate as your shutter. If you turn your shutter speed down, this should take care of it. 

The second would be for artistic reasons. When you slow down the shutter on a camera, it allows more light to hit the sensor, creating a much more intense blur effect, as seen in the image below. This is typically referred to as a long exposure shot in photography.

In terms of shutter angle, a low shutter speed would be the equivalent of a higher shutter angle

Fast Shutter Speed

On the other end of the spectrum, you typically use a fast shutter speed when you need an ultra-crisp image. Think sports, nature, or action shots. In film, you might do this to make the scene feel full of adrenaline since you’ll be able to see every bit of detail.

Faster shutter speed can also be used if it is too bright out, but as mentioned earlier this will affect your final output. One way to get around this is by using neutral density filters (ND) filters. ND filters are essentially sunglasses for your camera. They allow you to keep the shutter speed where you want it while also helping control the amount of light that is let in. 

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When it comes down to it, sticking to the golden rule is a safe and reliable way to make sure that your footage comes out in the best way possible. Experimenting with different shutter speeds can be an easy way to add some creative flair to your project. Let us know what you think in the comment section below. 

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Staying Safe on Set in a Pandemic

Is it possible to run a shoot safely in a pandemic? It’s been several months since the world came to a screeching halt, and many of us are eager to get behind or in front of a camera again. 

However, the stakes are clearly high. For cast and crew, and anyone close to them, a serious illness could be a matter of life or death. 

In this post, we’re looking at how major production studios have adapted to the new normal through emerging best practices to help everyone stay safe.

Pandemic Problems

Filming in a pandemic comes with a host of challenges. Most videos featuring actors require them to interact without face coverings, and in close proximity to each other. Under normal circumstances, that’s hardly an issue. But when you’re trying to prevent the spread of an airborne disease, it’s clearly problematic.

Of course, it’s not just your on-camera talent you have to worry about. A typical film shoot is a busy, bustling place. There are usually more people behind the camera than in front of it.

Sadly, there have been reports of both cast and crew members becoming ill, and there has been at least one death associated with a production. Clearly, it is paramount to take safety precautions and to prioritize the health and wellbeing of cast and crew above all else.

If you’re considering whether to produce a video in the near future, the most important thing to keep in mind is that the safest option is to figure out a way to produce it without bringing everyone on set. Constraints can fuel creativity if you start seeing them as an opportunity rather than a negative block. For instance, SNL found a creative way to manage production remotely, and an entertaining horror film about a Zoom seance went viral. 

So, what can we learn from these different approaches? Mainly that COVID will impact all aspects of your productions, from the concept and location, to the production and, of course, the cast and crew. 

Concept

With a few exceptions, plots involving lots of combat scenes or intimacy, or almost anything requiring people to perform lines face to face are being scrapped. Instead, we’re seeing imaginative ideas that focus much more on individual experiences, or limited casts with far fewer extras. 

For example, Tilda Swinton stars in an upcoming short that focuses on the isolating experience of waiting for someone to reach out. The Human Voice is remarkable for how transportive and very “right now” the plot feels. Content that can tap into our collective experience will resonate and connect with audiences.

Location

A lot depends on the specific location where your shoot is taking place. Regulations vary tremendously, as do the chances of catching a serious illness.

Many major productions have shifted from the US to overseas locations with much lower rates of illness. A change in location does not come at a low cost, and there are significant logistical challenges to doing so. Moreover, travel is still restricted in many areas, so extra steps and paperwork are often required for a drastic move such as this.

A less drastic option would be to move your production outdoors, to an area within your home country with lower rates of infections, or to choose a location that makes it easier to control access to the set. Some studios have already upgraded their ventilation systems to help prevent the spread of disease, and others are adding more controls and policies over how the set can be accessed, and by whom.

For instance, Pinewood Studios in Atlanta is monitoring the health and safety of workers by implementing weekly COVID tests, using an app to track symptoms between tests, and badges linked to testing results are required for accessing different areas of the studio.

Cast and Crew

The health and safety of those working on your production is everything. While there are specific guidelines in place in many areas, the situation is continuing to evolve.

The safest option is to abide by the stricter set of regulations that applies to your production. If there aren’t any local regulations you can refer to, or if they feel inadequate, the “Safe Way Forward” guidelines, published in a joint effort by multiple unions, is an excellent reference. It builds on the reopening white paper from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers published in June.

New Roles

So far, there are two big ways small-scale productions have changed. The first is that there is a medic present on set, even for a small, five-person shoot. And, one person is now designated to be in charge of COVID precautions. For it to be done well, you can’t just pile these extra responsibilities onto an already-stressed producer.

This role entails: enforcing mask wearing and distancing requirements, and making sure materials like sanitizer and PPE are readily available. They’re also in charge of a meeting at the beginning of the shoot to inform everyone of the rules. And, most productions now include COVID protocols in the call sheet beforehand, as well, so everyone knows what to expect.

More Participants in Pre-Production

Another shift that’s occurring is to involve more of the team in the pre-production planning than before. By doing so, you can provide reassurance that their concerns are being met, and answer any questions they may have. Of course, this is being done remotely via video chat or phone.

Minimizing In-Person Contact

Yet another change we’ve seen is to make every effort to minimize person-to-person contact as much as possible. For instance, many productions are enabling actors to handle more of their setup than before. It could be as simple as coaching them on mic placement so they can do it themselves, or applying their own makeup. 

Larger shoots are also implementing the recommended “Zone” approach to avoiding unnecessary contact between different team members. The basic concept is to divide the team into different zones according to the type of work they are doing on the production. Then, restrict or alternate access to the set accordingly to reduce overlap between the different zones.

Depending on the nature of the work being done, different safety protocols might apply to different zones. For instance, set builders and designers typically do not need to interact with the cast, and can often perform their work while wearing PPE. Meanwhile, cast members need to interact with the director and producers, and are unlikely to be able to wear PPE at all times. Therefore, members of that zone will likely require stricter testing protocols than those able to wear protective gear. By carefully defining zones for your production, and devising the appropriate protocols for each zone, you can reduce confusion on set.

Lessons From a Major Production

When it comes to managing the safety of your team, there are lessons to be learned from one of the largest productions to be green-lighted since the pandemic broke out. Filming paused on Jurassic World: Dominion earlier this year, but recently resumed over the summer.

The level of collaboration and coordination required to restart production was nothing short of herculean. Here are some of the key changes that allowed production to restart.

Location

This installment in the Jurassic Park franchise benefitted from its original filming location in England. Because it was already planned and underway, it required fewer approvals and logistical headaches to get the go-ahead.

Accommodations

First, the production team booked an entire hotel to house the cast and crew for the duration of the shoot in England. Prior to the pandemic, this was not a usual practice, even for large productions.

The cast and crew received COVID tests upon arrival, and were asked to stay quarantined for an initial two-week period. Only then were they able to move about the hotel and socialize. 

Pandemic Procedures

A 107-page safety manual stipulated how all other aspects of production would be handled from a health and safety standpoint. Everything, from temperature scans and weekly testing, to serving meals on set was covered in detail. 

Production Zones

One important change was to divide the cast and crew into different teams according to their role in the production and how vital they were to its completion. In an interview for the NY Times, one of the stars compared it to a closed set. The director, cast, and essential crew comprised a “Green Zone” with stringent testing protocols. Anyone working on pre-production, like sets or props, had more limited access to the set. 

Costs

Of course, these changes were not easy, or cheap. Operating a large, 750 person production required medical staff on set, around 18,000 COVID tests, and 150 hand sanitizer stations, plus hand-washing sinks and temperature scanners.

The cost for all the safety enhancements was estimated at around $9 million. Based on data from other productions, COVID precautions can increase your budget by 25% or more.

Outcome

While every precaution was taken, filming was halted after four crew members tested positive for COVID-19 in August and had to self-isolate. While no one became seriously ill, it shows how difficult it is to maintain a quarantine bubble on set.

Production was able to resume, but adjustments were made to the scale of production in different locations. For instance, a spike in cases in Malta led to a significant reduction in anticipated team size. The stop-start-stop nature of production, along with the evolving situation, make video production a truly difficult feat in these circumstances.

Going Forward

If you decide to move forward with a production, you really have to think through how to do so as safely as possible. And, if you can devise a concept that obviates the need to bring everyone together, you should explore it.

There are still many unanswered questions, as this is truly uncharted territory. Ultimately, we expect the video industry to get back to work slowly, with many adjustments along the way.

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Are you planning to produce a video any time soon? What sort of precautions are you taking? Share your tips in the comments below.

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Ten Lessons From Ten Years in Business

SproutVideo is celebrating ten years in business! That’s ten years of growth as a bootstrapped company, and unrelenting focus on all things video. Here are our top takeaways from what we’ve learned over the past decade, and what we’re excited about for the future.

1. Video Will Keep Getting Easier, and Harder, to Produce

On its face, that’s clearly a contradictory statement. But hear me out. 

There’s no question that it’s easier than ever to produce a quality video. The phone in your pocket can shoot 4K, and beyond that, other tools and software keep becoming more accessible and user-friendly.

As video becomes easier and easier to make, people create more of it, and watch more of it. There’s a certain level of desensitization and fatigue that accompanies that. Just think about how you react to seeing yet another Zoom meeting on your calendar.

It’s therefore harder to create content that grabs attention and engages viewers. Standards for production values keep inching higher, and viewers are faced with more choices than ever before. 

So, what can you do? Keep producing content, keep tabs your competitors, and constantly check for ways to improve.

2. The Promise of AI for Video Has Yet to Be Fulfilled

It seems like every year, predictions are made for ways AI will revolutionize video production. We’ve seen headlines that made it seem like camera operators and editors would want to find new careers, and fast.

While much has changed, video production remains very much the same. It’s true that progress has been made in terms of the capabilities of AI for video production, but there has yet to be a meaningful impact on the way most video is produced.

One major exception is the advances made in drones. The latest drones can recognize and track a subject, even if they move out of frame and reappear, with automatic obstacle avoidance and landing. They practically fly themselves at this point.

Looking to the future, it’s a matter of time before video production will become more efficient and automated as AI for filming and editing becomes more ubiquitous. Until then, we’ll keep recording and cutting footage the old-fashioned way.

3. Video Has Redefined Communications

When SproutVideo first launched back in 2010, Youtube was only five years old. Online video was seen almost exclusively as entertainment, and producing video was very expensive and time-consuming. Consequently, much of our earlier marketing efforts were directed at convincing companies that video was a worthwhile investment. 

Clearly, much has changed since then. Video is significantly easier and, in many cases, less expensive to produce. Many organizations have shifted to a video-first way of communicating, both internally and publicly. 

We see two main reasons why video has taken off for business communications:

1. A chance to be more personal 
2. A chance to tell AND show

Be More Personal

Video allows you to foster a stronger connection with prospects and customers, as well as employees, without actually meeting face-to-face. It’s not really possible to communicate with the same level of nuance via text and still images.

Tell AND Show

With text or still images, you can tell people all about your products and services. With video, you can actually show them in action.

The impact is significant, and measurable. According to Wyzowl, a majority of consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than read information about it. In that context, it’s not surprising 95% of marketers agree video improves the customer’s understanding of a product, and has been shown to improve conversion rates.

4. Basic to Polished – There’s a Place for Every Level of Production 

It’s natural to want to make the very best video possible, but we’re here to tell you something surprising. It’s not always necessary to take your production values to the nth degree.

In fact, different types of video serve different purposes, and there’s room for all levels of quality provided the production matches the goal of the video. 

Shorter is Better. Mostly … Unless it’s Not

Conventional wisdom dictates that shorter videos have better engagement. But the reality is that engagement is more tied to the quality of your content and how well it’s targeted at your intended audience than anything else.

Of course, depending on where you’re sharing your video, you might run into hard limits in terms of length. Certain social platforms or video ad placements come with strict length requirements.

Outside of those particular uses, the ideal runtime of video can vary significantly. After all, humans will watch anything from a six second ad spot to a feature length film.

So what video length is ideal? What is right for you? It all depends on your message, audience, platform, and how you want to tell your story.

You Can Do a Lot With a Little

It can be intimidating to get started with video if you’re of the mindset that you need lots of fancy, expensive gear to produce high quality video. We’re here to tell you that’s just not the case.

There are many, many ways to put a video together, ranging from basically free to incredibly expensive. At the bottom of the range, you’d be surprised what you can put together with a little time and effort.

Of all the tips we could offer on this point, it really boils down to diving in and getting your hands dirty. Practice makes perfect. The more video you make, the better you’ll get at it, no matter what tools you’re working with.

You Can Do More With More

Obviously, gear helps. A bigger budget helps. The right location, lens, lighting, and editing software can add style and make your video stand out from the crowd. Similarly, the larger your crew and the more specialized your talent, the more unique and polished your video is likely to be.

Borrow, rent, or buy – whatever your budget allows. If you’re unsure what you need for your next project, our How To Video series has guides to the important differences between cameras, lighting options, and microphones to help you get started.

5. The Power of Live Video

For built-in excitement, it’s hard to beat live video. While it’s been around for sports, news, and events for a long time, it’s finally become a common practice for businesses too.

The draw for viewers can’t be ignored. A majority of viewers would rather watch a live video than read a blog post or view social media content, and no wonder. Nearly 80% of marketers have found that live video drives authentic engagement with their audiences.

If your organization is among the 45% of businesses that have yet to start live streaming, there’s no time like the present to go live. Here are six simple steps to live streaming for business, and our guide to multi-source live streaming to help you get started.

6. The Value of Evergreen Video

As a counterpoint to the above, evergreen video is the rare video that stays relevant for a long time and continues to appeal to viewers. While live video has a right here, right now pull, evergreen video has lasting value. 

Generally speaking, evergreen video is hard to make, but here are some tips that can help.

• Focus on providing value to viewers above all else.
• Try to answer a timeless question rather than responding to a particular trend.
• Invest in the quality of the video so it doesn’t become dated after a few months.
• Make updates to the video over time if needed.

For more inspiration, read our post about fourteen types of evergreen video you can make for your business.

7. Video Remains an Art, Not a Science

The best marketers and video producers care about the success of a video, and rely on different data points to inform their definition of success. For instance, viewer engagement can tell you a lot about whether a video succeeded in getting your message across to your intended audience.

Also, the tools that enable video creation are increasingly technical and automated. For instance, CGI has come a long way since the early days when it was blatantly obvious which elements were filmed in real life and which were not. 

However, despite all the data and all the technology that goes into making a video, you can’t replace or fake artistic vision. We believe that’s what really separates the good from the great when it comes to video.

What it boils down to is storytelling. The tech and data are important tools, but ultimately, they serve the message, not the other way around. Without a hook, a story to tell, and some creativity, all the data and gear in the world won’t help your video succeed.

The Hook

To grab the attention of your audience, and keep it, you need a hook. Whether it’s the overall plot or just the first few seconds of your video, the hook is what keeps the audience engaged and glued to the screen.

Essentially, an effective hook will indicate what your audience will get out of watching your video, but leaves them wanting more. If you need some inspiration, a popular Netflix series might help, or, try thinking of it like a teaser video.

The Story

Storytelling is not just for fiction. Any story, even an informational video, can be told in a compelling way. From imaginative advertising to corporate videos and feature length films, there is surely a story to tell.

When we hear “story” we think fiction – of happily ever after. But you can consider any message a story insofar as it should be clear, concise, compelling and make your audience want to be along for the journey. Whether it’s action, adventure, comedy, or instructions on how to hook up a dishwasher, there’s an interesting way to tell each story. Taking responsibility for the craft of the story will make sure you don’t lose viewers. 

While it’s true that what makes a great story can be broken down into data points and formulaic story arcs, it’s equally true that the best storytellers often thwart convention. 

Creative Approach

Your story might be a tale as old as time, but with the right approach, it can feel fresh and resonate with viewers. By nurturing and channeling creativity, you can find your own style and stand out from the crowd.

Refer back to the first lesson. More video is being created today than ever before. To rise above the noise, you need to do things differently. 

8. Inspiration Can Come From Anywhere

If part of your job requires you to be creative, you’ve probably encountered some form of writer’s block at some point. Everyone has a trick or two for overcoming it, but here’s what we’ve found really works.

Take notes, whether written, recorded, or photographed. Inspiration can strike at the strangest of times in the oddest of places. If you can make it a habit to capture your thoughts when they occur, you can start to build up a bank of ideas to draw upon when the time comes. 

Mix up your exposure to different experiences, ways of life, and types of media. The cross-pollination of ideas can help enhance your creative process in unexpected ways. It could be as simple as a museum trip or joining a local meetup group, but whatever it is, get out there and get it started.

9. Bring it In-House

There will always be a need for video studios. Different types of productions necessitate specialized experts, or a large crew, certain equipment, or a particular style.

However, the demand for video is so high that in order to keep up with it, organizations need to bring it in-house. Not all of it. But enough so that you can produce the videos you need on a regular basis with ease.

As long as video remains a special project, it will require too much effort to become a regular part of your marketing and communications. If the tools are right there, and it’s easier to jump in front of the camera, it will become second nature.

10. We Haven’t Hit Peak Video

This is the culmination of all the prior points: despite the increasing volume, advances in technology, and innovative uses appearing every day, we still have not hit peak video.

In fact, we don’t know what peak video will even look like. The goalposts keep moving towards the horizon. 

We’re excited to see where certain trends will take us. In particular:

1. Greater diversity in the voices and stories being told.
2. More efficient and powerful video workflows.
3. Better, cheaper, smaller, and lighter gear.

Ten years ago, we felt like video was an exciting and expansive opportunity for business, and of all the things that have changed, that still holds true.

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What will the next ten years hold? Share your insights in the comments below.

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How to Choose the Right Encoding Software for Live Streaming

Ever wonder how a video feed from a camera is converted to a live stream online? The answer is encoding software, a type of video software that can take a video source and transcode it in real-time into a format that can be streamed online.

In this post, we’ll be taking a look at six different options for encoding software. From basic to advanced, decide which encoding software is right for your project with this thorough guide.

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Here at SproutVideo, we’ve been using OBS software to encode our live streams these past few months. While it’s popular and free to use, OBS is far from the only option. There are a plethora of different services you can use to live stream your content, some very similar to OBS, while others have a host of premium features. So which is right for you?

In this episode of our How To Video series on live streaming, Nick LaClair, Creative Director at SproutVideo, takes us through six alternatives to OBS, and the features that come along with the upgrade.

What to Look for in Encoding Software

There’s already a really amazing free option on the market. You can do quite a lot with OBS, the software we use in-house at SproutVideo for live streaming. To see what it can do, go behind the scenes of our first live stream, or see exactly how OBS works with the SproutVideo platform.

But what if you need more advanced features, or just want a more user-friendly experience with live streaming?  

We’ve broken the features you can expect to find into two categories: basic, and advanced. The basic features are those that most companies will find useful when live streaming to an audience, whereas the advanced features are those that mainly apply to live streams with more complicated setups, like multiple participants or streaming to multiple platforms.

Basic Features

These basic features are available on most encoding software, including OBS. The differences you’ll find between platforms will instead be more a matter of ease-of-use and degree of control. Generally speaking, higher-end software will offer more finite control than those on the cheaper end of the spectrum.  

Multiple Inputs: 

If you’re using more than one video source, this feature is crucial. It allows you to add more cameras or video sources in an efficient way, and switch between them during your broadcast.

Chroma Key: 

This is a type of image compositing that allows for the manipulation of video through color-based hue detection. This is how a green screen works, and also how you can change your Zoom background.

Files and Media: 

In addition to the aforementioned video feeds, this refers to the ability to add additional video files, files from design programs, or images during your stream. For instance, we used a JPG to make a custom branded frame for our live stream with multiple presenters.

Video Transitions: 

Transitions are different effects you can use to move between scenes while streaming. They can add polish and style to your live stream.

Graphics:

OBS allows you to import graphics and titles, while with other apps, this feature might be built right into the platform itself.

Recording:

This allows you to save a recording of the stream locally. If you’re live streaming with SproutVideo, we automatically save a recording of your live stream to your account.

Advanced Features

These features are where pricier encoding software options will have the edge over a program like OBS, which at its core can only accomplish the features above. 

Guests and Multiple Participants 

More robust options offer built-in functionality for multiple guests, speakers, or participants right within the app. This would allow you to do a 2-10 person presentation depending on the application you go with.

Comments and Feedback

These features allow participants to interact with your stream when it’s broadcast to a social media platform by pulling in social comments or posts. 

Simulcast

Simulcasting is the ability to stream to multiple platforms at once, such as professional platforms like SproutVideo, or YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch. This is useful if you are live streaming on your homepage, but also want to broadcast your video to your audience on social as well.

Hardware Control 

The highest tier options allow you to control hardware right in the application. This might include a switcher, control module, or even remote cameras. The ability to control hardware from the application gets you much closer to a real studio experience.

Choosing a Streaming Application 

OBS is an amazing choice because of its versatility, and it’s hard to overlook the fact that it is free, but if you want some of the more advanced features and ease of use, you’ll want to go with a different piece of software. We took a look at six platforms that would be solid alternatives to OBS.

XSplit, Streamyard, mimoLive, Switcher Studio, Wirecast, and Vmix for the most part, cover all the basic and advanced features listed above at various price points.

Other than price, the biggest difference between these six platforms is their ability to have multiple speakers and guests, the level of customization, and integrations with hardware. 

The chart below shows the differences in features and price.

XSplit

Pros: Affordable with nice features for the price point, targeted at gamers.
Cons: No guests and only available on Windows.
Best For: Easy simulcasting on PCs, and those on a budget.

Streamyard

Pros: Browser-based, easy-to-use, allows up to ten guests, inexpensive.
Cons: Not as customizable as higher-tier options, and running in the browser could use up computer resources.
Best For: Cheap solution to featuring guests in a live stream.

mimoLive

Pros: Lots of easy-to-use features at a mid-tier price point.
Cons: Only available for macOS.
Best For: Mac users regularly live streaming with a multi-cam setup.

SwitcherStudio

Pros: Intuitive, easy to add iOS devices as a source.
Cons: Gets pricier to invite up to five guests.
Best For: Live streaming for large organizations and events.

Wirecast

Pros: Advanced control over features, and image and audio quality.
Cons: Steep learning curve for less experienced video producers.
Best For: Knowledgeable live video producers looking for more control over output, and lots of built-in features.

VMIX

Pros: Packed with customizable features and integrations.
Cons: Very complex software could take time to get up to speed.
Best For: Those looking for integrations, multiple guests, or live streaming events.

Of course, these aren’t the only options in the market. Based on our research, these six platforms seemed to offer the features we deemed essential, along with some bells and whistles here and there. 

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Given the range of price points, there’s clearly something for everyone depending on the features you need for your project. Which platform is your favorite, and why? What features do you rely on most for live streaming software? Share your perspective in the comments below.

If you’re ready to try live streaming for your business, open a free 30 day trial with SproutVideo today.

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