“I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were in a new city meeting new people for the first time and we were about to do a video in 2 hours that would otherwise be considered unheard of.”
– James Marsh, Camera Operator
Anyone who has ever worked in film or video production knows that the clock is always against our backs. Sometimes it’s a hard out at a location, a child actor limited on-camera time, or sundown. We’ve all been in those situations and know how stressful it can be. After the martini (the final shot) and making your day, there’s one thing we all have in common. That’s the diligence of pre-production and the perseverance of a committed crew.
As a referral, we came into contact with ESPN producer Sharon Matthews. The project was to co-produce and shoot a promo video for the network’s special program Rise Up: A SportsCenter Special for Black History Month. This centerpiece program aired on February 28, 2016. It included segments featuring prominent African-Americans in direct and intimate conversations sharing accounts of events in the news cycle that impacted their lives.
The Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day, coming off the success of her 2015 album Cheers to the Fall, provided her amazing song “Rise Up” for the project. The narration she recorded touched upon the overcoming of racial barriers of African-Americans.
Time Is Of Essence
Going into pre-production we knew that working with a high profile talent was going to be a logistical challenge. We were given two hours to shoot four scenes in late January in Atlanta. The weather was inclement, so much so that area public attractions such as museums, zoos, and theaters shut down with little prior notice. Our prep discussion revolved around one central question. How can we utilize those two hours to the best of our ability without sacrificing production value?
Location, location, location. That’s the one word that resonated with everyone. The result was booking Atlanta’s The Goat Farm Arts Center, the ideal spot. The farm provided a vast amount of character, brick facades to burned remnants of a bygone building. It also afforded us with the convenience we sought out after. We needed the location to allow for us to easily move from set to set without massive company moves.
All Hands On Deck
Despite whatever position you’re fulfilling on set, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. You need to be ready to lend a hand. Given the time factor, many of us had to embody various roles. “Our crew was going to wear multiple hats and we would only have a brief window of shooting time,” Deep Singh, production coordinator on the shoot recalls.
From the onset, there was the need for open lines of communication and 100% trust in the process. The expectation that we entrusted people with became the defining matter. It ultimately led us to make our day and succeeding in our shoot. Everyone knew what their role on set was when the camera was rolling. In between setups, everyone dropped rank and assisted in progressing the production forward.
The people that we met on this production were more than stellar, they were extraordinary. Viet Mac, director, described the set as “upbeat but also incredibly intense moving from scene to scene.” He pointed out how “we were able to make it happen because of the crew.” At its core, individuals are part of a production where everyone commits to the project. A production can only be successful if those individuals buy into the process. And they must trust the process.
An Infinitely Positive Experience
With the announcement of “that’s a wrap” and taillights on our vehicles we found ourselves on an airplane going back home to California. Reflecting back on the experience, the whole production was extremely rewarding. We got a chance to leave a lasting impression with Andra Day, the Atlanta crew, and Sharon Matthews and her ESPN producing colleagues.
