As we head into the weekend, here are a few life lessons picked up by our staff this past week while out there actually making TV and video rather than writing about it:
A couple of years’ experience producing a show helps a lot, but it doesn’t guarantee everything’s going to go fine every time. What if the equipment’s not working, the guest doesn’t show up and you don’t have his contact info, or an on-screen panel discussion turns into a bitter argument? What if all three happen on the same night? They did, just a few nights ago.
The solution is to bite the bullet, check out all your equipment and information in advance, and give everything more time. When you reschedule with your guest, try going to them at home or work instead of getting them to come to the studio — it may make for more interesting video anyway. When the panel calms down, record their discussion to edit in with the earlier stuff. If they had their most productive talk while everyone was waiting for the equipment to be fixed, well, that’s life.
On the tech side, especially for editors, Interface 2037, a Final Cut Pro X title effect from Alex4D, turned out to be just the thing for editing a movie about a top secret care centre for mentally impaired people. It’s easy to adjust and work with, and fit in with the quasi-sci fi atmosphere the team is trying for. You can watch a demo below.