Working with your clients
One of the most important relationships you have when you’re shooting corporate video is the one you have with your client. After all, they’re the one who has contracted you to produce the video, so you need to get along with them and ideally involve them in the process.
Now that doesn’t mean they get involved with the technical or the aesthetic details. Rather you want them to help you make the shoot run smoothly. They have hired you to shoot the video, so you need to tell them how they can help you do your job.
While they may offer to ‘give you a hand’ with your gear, the best way they can help you is to organise the various people and locations you’ll be shooting in.
If you’re shooting in an office or corporate setting, its worth sitting down with your client and talking through each of the scenes you plan to shoot and explain the process. It’s important that they understand that during the time you’re filming, that should be the only thing happening at that location at that time. Trying to also continue to run the business, answer phones, deal with customers will mean you’ll both get frustrated.
This is worth discussing before you start shooting so that you both understand what needs to be done.
I’ve done a lot of filming in school classrooms. By their nature, schools are timetable driven. Classes start and stop by the clock and although you’d like another take of the kids starting their science experiment, once the bell goes, that’s it.
Explaining to your client how best to facilitate the filming process in light of this is always worth doing.
The other kind of client is one who expects the shooting of the video to take the same amount of time as it does to watch it (well, almost). Make sure you explain the process to your client and give them some time frame so they know what to expect. They want a great finished product, so explaining to them how this takes time, shouldn’t meet with too much resistance.
Keeping on schedule
If I’ve been contracted to produce a video and I’m on location, charging for my time, I’m pretty keen to get on with the shoot. Whilst I enjoy a coffee and a chat, if at all possible its important to be out shooting. Even though your client might say you’ve got plenty of time to get the shots, in my experience being early and setting up ahead of schedule, is much better than the ‘just in time’ approach.
The ‘helpful’ client
Then there’s the client who wants to second guess all your shots. “This is a great angle over here – shoot from here!” Hopefully you will have considered that angle and can explain that because of the wide open window behind the talent, it’s not the best angle. However sometimes the client can find a better angle or shot, so be prepared to listen. One way to deal with this is to walk through the sequence with the client first and show him how you propose to shoot it. Ask him what he thinks. Then at least you’ll have time to consider his suggestions without having a film crew waiting around.
Sometimes clients are just too busy to spend the day with you. Discussing this when you first meet will give you a heads up. Whilst I don’t mind shooting on a clients property without them being around, it’s always preferable if they can ride shotgun for you.
Next week: Previews, changes and the final product
Here are other posts in this series:
- Video on-line during CovID-19
- Multicam video – the technical stuff
- What are you doing in ‘lock-down’?
- Scary outcome when shooting with multiple cameras
- Five values that shape what I do
