MTI’s Experienced Crew Captures the Shot In Any Environment
Second camera operator Jamie Sides keeps subject Steve Beam in focus.
MTI was hired by Bain & Company for two jobs at their Washington, D.C., office. Bain is a global consultancy and the jobs were to produce videos on the topic of “Dynamic Financial Planning.”
Ben and Analee Wong worked the second job as Director of Photography and grip/audio assist, respectively. The one-camera shoot used the Sony FS 7 Mark II.
The first job was a two-camera shoot, with Julio Luzquinios and Jamie Sides using Sony FX 9 cameras. That assignment seemed as simple as can be: Record a two-minute video of a single subject speaking to the camera, with a second camera shooting a different angle for editing cut-ins. No B-roll was needed. This is about as basic as a production can be.
Except the client wanted to shoot it’s expert, Steve Beam, sitting in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows in their office. This caught the video team by surprise.
The issue is that posing a subject in front of a bright background can create a difficult lighting situation. Often the subject will be in shadow due to the bright sunlight streaming in behind them.
But after a moment’s hesitation, the team knew exactly what to do. “It’s not a problem if you know what you’re doing,” says Luzquinios, adding, “Be aware of where the sun is and where it will be at the time of the interview. Keep it simple! Big, soft [light] source and an edge [light]. Just let the lenses and Mother Nature do the hard work.”
As seen in the top photo, a strong light source illuminates the subject despite the strong daylight pouring in behind him. The below picture shows the resulting video image, sharp and clear.
The resulting image is clear and pleasing, thanks to the expert knowledge of the MTI crew.
As always, having an experienced crew that can handle any problems that happen is vital for any video or audio production, live or livestreamed.
Metro Teleproductions, offering video production in the Washington, D.C., area for 20+ years, is owned and operated by Dave Lilling with creativity, reliability and professional excellence. Contact Dave at 301-608-9077 or dave@mtitv.com for video production success!
