Case Study – Video / Podcast Production – GCCOA

In July of 2019, the director of the Greene County Council on Aging approached GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. about the possibility of doing a video set to cover information provided in an ongoing series of live workshops. The idea was to have a version people could see who might be unable to attend the live events – shut-in seniors, caregivers, and so on.

Gery Deer and Media Director Julie Barth met with the agency heads and discussed their options, content, and budget. A week or so later, a proposal was approved and the production schedule was set. The original concept was a single-camera, first-person style of video where the expert spoke right into the lens. Gery’s thought was that this would be boring and unengaging, feeling somewhat forced with a flat script.

Instead, he proposed a sort of low-key, person-to-person chat over coffee style. Two people, sitting at a table and having a conversation about legal issues facing seniors and their families. That turned out to be a perfect concept. The video was shot in August, under the time budget – thanks mostly to the expertise of the subjects. In addition, the production used a two-camera style while using only one.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Three topics were chosen to be covered in this first series and each was shot almost continuously, allowing time only for breaks and a quick review of the questions and answers to be covered. Once all segments of the video were done, the crew reset the cameras to get close-ups, reaction shots, and different views of the subjects from different angles. So, what should have needed to be done with two cameras in simultaneous operation, was accomplished seamlessly with only one and the clever scripting.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

The real success of this process was in the editing. Using slates for every single segment being recorded, it was easier to edit. Each section was edited and the “second unit” cuts were added in, making sure that the dialogue flowed properly to maintain the integrity of the information.

THE PODCAST

In planning for the video shoot one of the requests of the Council was to have an accompanying podcast of each topic. To keep costs down, Gery proposed a way to do both at the same time. Instead of a shotgun or boom mic for recording, wireless lapel mics were used, mixing the audio on the fly. This created the highest quality audio possible so that, once editing was complete, we could just “rip” the audio from the video and use that for the podcast content. It worked perfectly.

The final result was a series of high-quality videos and podcasts that give the audience options. More in the series are in discussion and GLD will be there to keep the consistency of the quality and branding of the productions. The videos and podcasts went live in September and are free and available to the public on YouTube and most podcast streaming services.

Final Production Videos Available for Review Here

Final Production Podcasts Available for Review Here