Short film promotion
As a London-based videographer, I frequently work in behind-the-scenes videography. In this case study, I describe how I created my most recent behind-the-scenes video. This is being used on social media to promote a new short film, ‘Sieda’, The film was produced by Frog and Roast Beef Films, an Anglo-French Production Company.
Filming on location
Initially, I was booked to manage the camera media for two days on this short film production. The Director of Photography and the Director agreed that I could also take the opportunity to film some ‘Behind the Scenes’ footage. The two-day shoot took place in a residential house in South London. So I packed the extra kit I needed to film some behind-the-scenes action.
Multi-skilled videographer
On my first day on set, I also took on the role of 2nd Assistant Cameraman, assisting Director Vanessa Pellegrin and Director of Photography Ben Thompson. Being part of a small crew means everyone helps with anything and everything as needed to manage time as efficiently as possible. Once I finished my clapperboard duties for each take, I picked up my camera to record behind-the-scenes footage from each scene. Between takes, I also captured the fun, light-hearted atmosphere typical of this shoot.
Interview with the Director
To help with the editing, I suggested filming an interview with Director Vanessa Pellegrin, which she kindly agreed to. So we set a date for that additional filming. During the interview, Vanessa explained how the film came about. Her Production Company, FAR Films, had won the top prize for the Pitch for Shorts TV at the 2018 Film Festival in Cannes. They had submitted their short film idea with a fully formed script and budget for the film ‘Sieda’. The competition prize was production funding. Their finished film will be screened on Shorts TV (a 24/7 HD TV channel dedicated to short movies). I also asked Vanessa to send me some graded clips, the font choice, her production company’s logo, and the film’s theme music. This additional footage enabled me to enhance the video edit.
Behind the scenes editing
After filming the interview, I first transcoded all the 4K UHD files into Avid-friendly DNx media. I then started the edit in Avid Media Composer on my Mac. I wanted this video to explain the film’s story so my edit would best support the short film’s future promotion. Considering everything, I thought a short video would work best, so I aimed for around 3 minutes. After completing the edit, I sent it to the Director for any feedback. After only one shot change, the film was signed off. I then sent my client a link to my behind-the-scenes videography via Vimeo so it could be shared and embedded as required.
Behind the scenes videography
As a videographer, I really enjoyed meeting the lovely cast and crew of this short film. This project helped me realise that, even though I was commissioned to manage the camera’s media, I could also support the film’s Production Company further by filming and editing a behind-the-scenes video. It is expected that this short film ‘SIEDA’ will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. I hope my work will help everyone involved in the production promote their new film. If you would like help with behind-the-scenes videography, please contact me through my website contact form.
You might enjoy reading some of my other blog articles:
Fast turnaround video for social media – case study
Professional talking head video production: A complete guide
