There’s a chaotic, yet somber feeling about going into production in your own backyard that’s comforting; you exhale a sigh of relief knowing where to get last minute equipment rentals or who to call if talent drops out at the 11th hour. Now take that peace of mind and contrast it with your upcoming gig that’s taking place in a city you’ve never worked in – concerns magnify tenfold not knowing how to prep. There’s only one question that needs to be introduced into the conversation. How can I familiarize myself with the location prior to traveling?
The answer shouldn’t come as a shock and it’s right at your fingertips. The way social media has ingrained itself into our daily lives we have access to the largest human network in the world. In essence, there’s only six degrees of separation, as the theory suggests, from that resource (mutual friend) that will fulfill production needs.
For our latest project with ESPN and The Undefeated – a platform designed to shed light on how race, sports, and culture intersect – we were approached to shoot a teaser video performed and written by Chicago activist and poet Malcolm London. The spoken word piece was the precursor to An Undefeated Conversation: Athletes, Responsibility and Violence, a town hall special aimed at opening the dialog regarding the racial violence that’s blanketing the United States. The special originally aired on August 25, 2016.
With less than a week that included two weekend days in the prep – and a red eye flight looming on a Monday evening – our pre-production began. The ground we covered in those few days was substantial as we took a proactive approach to reach out to our social media for leads on actors, locations, crew, and volunteers. With such an overwhelmingly positive response we were able to build a solid foundation for our three day excursion to The Windy City.
When The Unexpected Occurs
With one day to prep and location scout in Chicago, and two days for shooting, we were getting ready to roll on day one when our camera gimbal began to fail. It’s no illusion, but a living nightmare to have the one piece of equipment the production relies on to not be working. During our pre-production we reached out to our colleagues at JV Studios, who not only participated in various production aspects, but also guided us to Essanay Studio and Lighting Company where we sourced the additional equipment that we required to keep our shoot moving fluidly.
Whether it’s camera, lighting, or sound gear, equipment is integral to any production. When on location without a contact that’s familiar with the town you’re in, prioritize during pre-production to locate the camera and grip/lighting houses regardless if you’re renting equipment or not. Just having those phone numbers on hand can be a life saver if an equipment emergency arises. If you find it difficult to locate rental houses be sure to reach out to the local television stations for leads.
When It Rains It Pours
Relying on a weather forecast is never 100% accurate and when it comes to scheduling shoot days it’s essential to keep it flexible with alternatives. The breakdown for the video called for the majority of the scenes to take place outdoors, and with inclement weather pending we utilized the popular marketplace Peerspace to soft book locations. We approached the respective listing hosts with full transparency regarding our intentions and the project’s theme. We were able to develop a relationship where the host waived the cancellation fee if we didn’t use the location and paid in full if we did.
One art direction challenge that we had to resolve was the damp ground after a downpour. The scene called for chalk outlines of bodies, but due to the saturated ground the chalk pigment came out dull. It’s situations like this that creativity truly blossoms and alternative solutions are sought out. We funneled baby powder over the chalk outlines resulting in a glistening white that showed up on camera with luster.
The Power Of Volunteers
Projects can’t be successful without the contribution of the crew and often at times there’s an entire group of support that goes unnoticed. That group is the volunteers that dedicated their time to work on various facets of the project. Leading up to the shoot our production coordinator Jake Lewis reached out to Chicago based film and video Facebook groups and pages for leads on talent and volunteers. After expressing the project’s pivotal subject matter admins were receptive and allowed Jake to post ads seeking talent and volunteers.
With interest peaking, the challenge booking dedicated volunteers and talent became frustrating because we requested up to a three day commitment. Working under the EPSN name brought about expectations, whether they were monetary or motive driven, volunteers and talent were apprehensive about committing. Over the course of our correspondence we fine-tuned our pitch to include that theme, root cause, and the involvement of Malcolm London. Sure enough our prospects’ presumptions were recanted and we all benefited from working on such a poignant video.
“I have never seen this many volunteers on a shoot before. It’s always amazing to see how many people are willing to come help us even though they don’t really know us.”
– Sharon Matthews, ESPN Producer
The Martini
Working on location doesn’t have to be daunting or intimidating as long as your production does its due diligence prior to the production days. Next time an out of town shoot falls on your plate, reach out to your social network for leads – mutual friends just might be the resource you’re looking for. Familiarize yourself with the local rental houses in case an equipment emergency happens on set. Keep a flexible schedule with alternative locations if you know that the location will be impacted by weather. Don’t be afraid to exercise your project’s cause to attract volunteers and talent because people are more than willing to help if they’re investing their time in something they believe in.
