Just a few months back in a typical week at Kartoffel Films, we’d be in Chicago meeting with a client, while other team members had shoots on location in, say, Cannes and South Africa. We would routinely handle productions that spanned locations across three or more continents.
You might be surprised to hear that we are still running international productions and video shoots – even during the COVID pandemic. Of course these are typically not in-person or on location. So, how do we do it?
Remote directing. This might sound odd at first, but it’s entirely possible to direct a shoot remotely. In fact this is how in-car scenes for cinema or TV have been shot for decades. The actors are in one car the director and DOP in the next. So, why not take what’s tried and tested and stretch it a bit further? With online video conferencing technology we’ve directed shoots in LA from London. We can do this with trusted local crews, drawing on our international network – of course subject to specific covid regulations at a given location.
Self-recording. Taking the above idea a bit further, we’ve also had clients, actors, teachers, experts self-record takes. Again, we provide professional direction remotely and then when we have the right take, integrate international footage into a professionally edited video. Depending on the distribution platforms required, we either shop cameras to locations or have even directed takes recorded on clients smartphones or via videoconferencing.
Stock video. We have access to a vast array of stock video that helps create a sense of place and sets the right tone and mood, even if there’s no opportunity to shoot a custom take of, say, the sun rising over Tokyo or a crowd on Copacabana Beach. There’s a wealth of stock video takes and with our professional experience we can blend these into any production – carefully matching tone, mood, and narrative.
So, if you have a video project that does require international video shoots, don’t shelf it until after the pandemic. There are many ways to include global footage and we are happy to help you make it happen – drop us a line at mash@kartoffelfilm.com
