Sure, we do video work all year round, but not all of what we do is produced for broadcast. Some films, like a sizzle reel for Jean Paul Gautier or Issey Miyake, might be created to announce a new fragrance to magazine editors or cosmetic department managers. Films we create for Victoria's Secret, will be used to educate new employees on how to effectively approach their customers and a film for a government contractor might explain just why they need another six million bucks to finish the project they said would cost five.
But for many of our clients, the footage we're shooting is for broadcast and I'm proud to say that our imagery has appeared on all the major networks and many cable stations around the world. Sometimes it might appear in a completed documentary, or as background footage (b-roll) in stories about Six Flags Great Adventure, HersheyPark, U2, Harley-Davidson, Norah Jones, Garth Brooks or others.
On several occasions our footage have been used to add pepper to a report from CNN's Jeanie Moo, or to illustrate ride construction on "Megastructures". Often, reporters are on a tight schedule and it could take hours to film enough footage to produce an interesting four minute segment, so they'll ask our clients if they have any video or "b-roll" and for this reason, our clients will ask us to create it, so they can have it on hand, ready to go.
B-roll reels, are made up of a series of interesting video clips and on occasion, an interview, reaction or testimonial from someone involved in the story.
If it is a new roller coaster, it might be the ride's designer, engineer, the park's PR manager or even the company's CEO. This might be followed by some kids telling us how cool the ride is or how much "air-time" they got.
Sometimes we know when our material will be on the air, but most times it just appears and surprises us. The fact that it has been used by the news services means that we are doing our job properly.
Knowing what to shoot and how to deliver it is an important part of the process.
Monday night we received an urgent call from our friends at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, where we are currently producing several films about blood management and bloodless surgery. They were having a major press event the following morning and asked us, "Could you put together an effective b-roll package from the footage you have been shooting?"
Fortunately, the footage had already been logged in our Avid editing system and it was just a matter of picking appropriate images, placing them in the correct order and adding titles and logos to complete the package. We came up with a fair price for the project and got to work. After creating the 5 minute reel we posted it on a secure site and sent a link to our client so that they could approve the content. We then prepared the final product as Hi-Def files, DVDs and Betacam SP tapes.
BTW: They needed it by 8am tomorrow. Here's Our B-Roll In Action
The reporters had their camera operator shoot the interviews, any relevant speakers and of course, the reporter themselves and then the rest of the story is made up of our shots. The more appropriate the footage is, the more stations that will use the images in their stories and in turn, the more press our clients will get. And that's what we're getting paid for.
Just yesterday afternoon we were informed that some of our NYC stock footage was purchased to be used in the network drama "24". I wonder how many episodes we will have to watch to cheer for our five seconds of fame.
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