Ian McCann

Microsoft makes top-quality videos about its products and services. To do this their video production company travels the world shooting films where MS products make important contributions to the successes of their users.

The production company has a core team of Producers, Directors, Directors of Photography, and Cameramen, based on the West Coast of the USA, who shoot these films, ensuring MS maintains a consistent aesthetic. However, when they travel they need local support from Production Managers, Gaffers, Grips/Sparks, Sound Recordists, and Hair & Makeup Artists (HMUAs). Of course, they also need to source much of the heavy and bulky equipment that high-end filmmakers use.

These local people are sourced by a specialist USA-based agency. I had been recommended to the agency by Jonathan Young, a legendary DOP and one of their established suppliers. So, I found myself talking to an American Agent, who was very clear about what was required but did not disclose the name of the client, always a good sign. When the client’s name is confidential, they are important and one needs to inspire confidence or they find someone else.

I was given a list of the crew and the equipment that would be required. From this list, it seemed pretty obvious a DOP would fly in and we would be shooting Master Interviews (MIVs) and some B-Roll. I was told which city we would be working in but the location was not disclosed, again, a good sign.

After almost a week of frequent emails and phone calls, I was invited to quote for; my services as Production Manager and Gaffer, and for providing the entire crew, and all the specified equipment.

Still, all I knew about the client and the location was that these were major players in whatever fields they played.

The clear implication being a very high-quality crew, kit, and service, was expected.

So, I called my regular crew and awaited responses to my messages. I could supply most of the specified equipment from my own store but there were some items I needed to hire in, so a quote was sought from the best local hire company, Canning 24.

My regular Hair and Makeup Artist (HMUA) was unavailable but she very enthusiastically recommended Vicky Johnston, who fortunately was available.

Within 24 hours I was able to provide a quote for project managing the operation and supplying everyone and everything required.

Price accepted. We got the job.

Vikki, works mainly on Dramas. So, she is used to being booked well in advance and to having her call sheets delivered ages before she goes on set. She seemed quite unsettled by the last-minute nature of this project.

The rest of us primarily work in nonscripted broadcast TV and corporate video, and so are used to last-minute assignments, and call sheets arriving the night before a shoot.

We got the call sheet – Client: Microsoft – Location: Sage’s Head Office.

Day 1

Call time: 08:30 hrs. So we all arrived on location just after 8 am. Following the introductions and pleasantries, we unloaded our gear and moved it into the rooms provided for us to use as our kit store and production office/makeup studio.

It was immediately clear, everyone would work well together.

The first shoot was a master interview (MIV) at one end of a long corridor. Large windows meant I needed to block out most of the daylight. So Chris, my Best Boy, and I set about rigging 4×4 floppies and solid flags and then put up the lights.

Meanwhile, Martin, our Sound Recordist, rigged an overhead boom mic and organised his mixing and recording equipment.

The DOP, Rudy Gelenter, set up his camera and an Eyedirect so the interviewee could look into the lens and see Kim, asking the questions and engaging facially during the answers.

While we were busy being highly controlled, filming a MIV, Danny Maneja, the 2nd Camera Operator, and Becky were having a more relaxed time filming B-Roll, general views of the offices and people at work.

An hour or so later we had a lot of great technical content from Rishi, a very senior IT engineer, filmed in 6K resolution. Amazingly, Rishi spoke in English, a language that non-engineers can understand.

After lunch, we set up for the next MIV. This time we used a studio that Sage has for their online content productions.

Our second contributor, Sharon, is a personnel professional. Initially, she was quite nervous about being on camera but she soon settled in and spoke eloquently and enthusiastically about the benefits her team and department garner from several MS products. Again we got lots of passion and quantified real-world anecdotes and case study stories to illustrate the advantages that MS products provide for her team, and so for the whole company.

Whilst I de-rigged the lighting and camera equipment, and cleared it from the studio, the rest of the team shot more B-Roll, and portraits of the contributors.

Day 2

The second day was to be similar except we had just one MIV to film, and one set piece to illustrate how some software is used and the aspects of it that were proving especially useful to the personnel department. Of course, there was more B-Roll to shoot, too.

The last MIV was filmed in the public space on the ground floor. Jenny was positioned between the lobby and the lounge area with reception out of focus in the deep background, so we had people moving through the frame to add energy to the shot.

I used a couple of daylight colour lamps softened with a 1-meter square diffuser, my key light. I put a 1×1 warm-daylight kicker to camera left and behind Jenny, to relate to the background colour to that side of the picture but also to create a colour contrast, a soft 3D effect, between the two sides of Jenny’s face. I positioned a black negative fill to reduce the ambient daylight on her face and then I hung a black flag above her head to kill a downlighter, giving me total control of the lighting.

Jenny was every bit as engaging as the other contributors and she gave us lots of great comments.

Ultimately, filmmaking is a collaborative project and everyone plays a vital part.

I love working for and with expert professionals. They know what they need, they know how to get what they need, they know what they do not need, and they do not waste anybody’s time and energy. They stick to the schedule and budget. and all the while they make sure everyone is properly fed and watered and they are a pleasure to work with. And so it was on this shoot. The quality of all the people and their work was excellent and that is why it went so very well, and the content was so impactful.

At the wrap, everything had gone perfectly and our Producer Directors were so happy they shot a crew group photo.