Location Scouting - Hallways Make For Great Interview Locations
We were recently brought in by Stonebridge Capital Advisors in St. Paul, MN to produce three videos for their website. These 3 videos consisted of interviews with the company's co-founders and executives to produce overview videos detailing their history, investment philosophy, and client focus.
One of the most exciting parts of any production is the location scout. During the location scout, we are able to get a creative feel for the location. Seeing the space helps us generate ideas on where we can film and what type of look we can generate. During location scouts, we are discussing the space with the client, taking photos, and documenting room size, natural lighting, and overhead lighting. Location scouting is also useful for determining the sound quality of a room which is the secret sauce to a perfect corporate video.
In most offices, finding the ideal interview location is usually not as obvious as you might think. Although there can be large conference rooms or private offices, finding a space that lacks distractions like TV screens and reflective glass can be challenging. Large windows also produce light that can vary throughout the day as the sun and cloud cover shift. Varying light is a big problem when interviews are being recorded.
Our hallway setup at Stonebridge Capital. This hallway had a wide opening where we could set up our equipment. The office’s clear glass also helped us shine light through it from one of the adjoining offices on the right.
In the case of Stonebridge Capital, the ideal location ended up being this beautiful long hallway that provided depth, contrast, and different color tones from the warm office lights. The hallways also allowed us to control the lighting more deliberately because we didn’t have direct window light to contend with. Hallways are often overlooked because they are not an obvious choice. We typically only walk down hallways and the idea of sitting in one can take some time to consider. However, they are usually beautiful locations that work in a wide variety of offices.
No office is too small or too large to find a great filming location. Our video production process is built around deliberate planning to help identify the best locations in any client office. Our clients are part of the location scout process and provide critical input for us to collectively find the right spot. Unsure if your office would make for a great film set? Give us a call and we would be happy to come by for a visit.