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When Less can be More in Video Production

May 9, 2017

We cut our teeth working and filming fast in a ‘Run-n-Gun’ style of filmmaking. That meant from Day 1 over a decade ago, we were forced to make decisions quickly, and to move fast. In video production, this is not always the case, and I am thankful we learned this way. On some shoots, we need every piece of gear ever made. And when appropriate, that can be a lot of fun. It does remind me however, that making clear and focused decisions before a shoot, helps streamline things, and being decisive allows us to work faster and more effectively. And that is when less gear, can be more.

Decisions, decisions…

A sign of a bad manager is one who can’t make decisions. AND one who is not willing to live and die off of those decisions. We manage our productions UNLIKE that. Make decisions. Make good decisions. When you have experience, technical skill, and creative prowess, you can be confident that if a decision is well thought out, it will work.

Planning and Pre-Production

Video production requires planning. Lots of it. And during the planning stage, most important decisions are made. The pre-production of a project best exemplifies this decision-making process, which cuts out anything that is not needed, so that what is most important, is most focused on. And that focus of time, gear, and talent, yields the best possible video.

I will always get giddy about new ‘toys’. When the newest video gear comes out, I still salivate over what I see. And some of those ‘toys’ have become staples in how we produce. But at the end of the day, it is about finding the clearest vision of what you want to film, and focusing every other decision around that vision, without bringing any extra cruft with you.